Photographic disc reproduction of television signals



Aug. 3, 1965 PHOTOGRAPHIC DISC REPRODUCTION OF TELEVISION SIGNALS Original Filed Sept. 3, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I92 ll l INVENTOR Pierre Marie Gabriel Toulon ATTORNEYS I Aug. 3, 1965 P. M. e. TOULON 3,198,380

PHOTOGRAPHIC DISC REPRODUCTION OF TELEVISION SIGNALS Original Filed Sept. 3, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Video Signal Photo Cell 308 Record L3 02 moucTA con.

FIG. 2.

INVENTOR Pierre Morie Gabriel Toulon BY mm ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 3, 1965 3,193,880 PHGTQGRAPHE DTSC REPRQDUCTEGN 8F SEGNALS iarie Gahriel Torsion, New York, N.Y., assignor, by rnesne assignments, to William D. Hall, Elliott I. Pollock, and George Vande Sande, Washington, 13.6., a partnership tlriginal application Sept. 3, 1952, fier. No. 307,607, new Patent No. 2,972,td, dated Feb. 21, 1961. Bit-sided and this application Felt. 2%, rear, Ser. No. 92,117 6 (Iiaiins. (Ci. Ils -6.7)

This application is a division of my prior copending application Serial No. 307,607 filed September 3, 1952 entitled Frequency Adjustment System, now US. Patent 2,972,660 granted February 21, 1961. The aforesaid application disclosed a frequency adjustment system and a television record. The present application is addressed to the television record subject matter.

The invention relates in particular to apparatus for the reproduction of visual programs with accompanying sound from storage means in the form of a disc record, fil is or the like, capable of being scanned to produce a program similar to the home television receiver.

T he main object of this invention is to provide a television record and apparatus for playing the same.

An important object of the invention is to provide a television record together with a player therefor which is low in cost and hence suitable for use in the home.

Yet another object is to provide a television record and player therefor useful to provide signals to a home television receiver.

In carrying out the above objects, the invention in its preferred form embodies a disc shaped transparent record having a spiral track. Running crosswise of the spiral track are substantially parallel lines each made up of a series of dots of varying intensities, each parallel line representing one horizontal line of the raster of the television picture. These parallel lines are each about 1 /2 mm. long and have about 660 dots. These lines are scanned in succession by optical means and the output is a video signal which may be fed to a home television system.

FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a general form of the invention.

FEG. 2 is a detail showing an application of the invention of FIG. 1 to a television reproducer.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one form of a television record having a spiral light value path storing video signals.

in the drawings like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

Before setting forth the full detailed explanation of the system of FIG. 1, a generalized and simplified explanation will be presented.

The automatic frequency control system of this invention adjusts the frequency of an oscillator toward a fixed value. This fixed value is established by another oscillator. The frequency of oscillator F is urged from either a higher or a lower frequency towards the same frequency as that of fixed oscillator F. The system for producing this effect operates as follows: The signal from oscillator P is divided into two separate signals which are about ninety degrees apart in phase. Signal from oscillator F is mixed with each of these separate phase signals, and each mixed signal is rectified. The outputs of the two rectifiers provide beat notes at the same difference frequency, F minus F, but the phases of the two difference frequency signals are also about nirety degrees apart. When the variable frequency F is greater than the reference frequency F, the signal across transformer primary 141 leads the signal across transformer primary 1 14, otherwise it lags it.

Condenser 171 is charged by rectifier 174, which is energized from the retarded phase secondary 152. Condenser 171 is discharged by rectifier 214, which is energized from the advance phase secondary 154. When frequency F is higher than frequency F the discharge of condenser 1'71 follows the charge promptly, so that the condenser is only charged one quarter of the time, but when frequency F is lower than frequency F the discharge precedes the charge, so that the charge is present on condenser 171 three quarters of the time. When frequency F is the same as frequency F, no difference frequency voltage is generated, and neither secondary is energized. The voltage across condenser 171 is then constant and at a fixed intermediate value. This value is based upon the leakage of the rectifiers 174 and 183 of one polarity balancing the leakage in the other direction of rectifier 23. of the other polarity.

Condenser 225 is charged by condenser 171 through resistor Whether condenser 22S charges up to three quarters or one quarter of the peak potential in condenser 171 depends upon whether the peak is present three quarters or one quarter of the time.

The voltage across condenser 225 is applied to the grid of tube 213. When the plate current of tube 213 is of an intermediate value the magnetic pull on armature balances the spring 234 and both contacts 233 and 235 are open. If condenser is charged to a low value, contact 233 closes, operating motor to rotate shaft th t of condenser fill to decrease the frequency of oscillator F.

limiters, consisting of battery 177 and rectifier 182 on the one hand, and battery 177 and rectifier 1815 on the other hand, limit the peak voltages of secondaries 152 and T54 respectively to three volts, thereby generating square waves in the secondary circuits for application to condenser 171.

Windings 151i and 153 on transformers 142 and 143 respectively, operate as part of limiter circuits. A threevolt battery 1'33 opposes conduction of either rectifier 155 or 156 across winding 151, and similarly, opposes conduction through rcctifiers 15S and 159 across secondary 153. This system not only equalizes the energy supplied from the primaries to the respective secondaries, but also diverts excessive flux in the transformers so that no more than a predetermined amount can reach the secondary windings.

Rectifier 2d? prevents the voltage across inductance 2% from reversing. Rectifier 133 prevents condenser 171 from discharging beyond zero volts as it otherwise might through rectifier 2114-. The details of the connections and operation of this circuit will now be described.

FIG. 1 shows a circuit arrangement for the automatic adjustment of a variable or potentially variable radio frequency to the same or substantially the same frequency, depending upon the order of magnitude involved, as a reference frequency which may be standard or itself adjustable manually to produce a desired result such as adjusting the position of a lens for focusing. The device may be used to adjust the capacitance of a con-denser.

Variable frequency F of oscillator F has value which corresponds to the resonant frequency of the tank circuit 1d?) comprising variable condenser fill and inductance coil M2. The control rod of variable condenser 161 is connected to the shaft 1% of permanent field magnet D.C. motor 165. An oscillation sustaining tube or valve 163 is connected across junctions 1% and N7 of tank 1th"; and comprises an anode connected to junction 1055 through condenser Ill a cathode connected to tap point it on inductance coil Hi2 and a grid connected to junction 167 through tank 111. A plate battery 112 has its positive terminal connected to the plate of valve 108 through load coil 113 and its negative terminal connected 3,1os,sso

to the grid at terminal 167. The resonant frequency of tank 103 is of the order of a hundred megacycles per second.

Standard or control oscillator 114 also has a frequency of a hundred megacycles per second or a wave length of about three meters. Oscillator 114 comprises a quartz crystal or equivalent means 115 connected to the grid of driving tube 116 and to junction 117 of tank 118 through tank 1940. Tank circuit 113 comprises a coil 119 with its midpoint 129 connected to the cathode of tube 116 and a condenser 121 across junctions 117 and 122. The plate of tube 116 is connected to junction 122 through condenser 123 and to the positive terminal of plate battery 124 through load coil 125. The negative terminal of plate battery 124 is connected to junction 117.

A phase shift circuit 126 comprises a condenser 127 in series with a resistor 128 and a coil 129 in series with resistor 134 connected in parallel at junctions 131 and s 132 which are connected respectively to junctions 117 and 122 of tank circuit 113. A junction 133 is provided between condenser 127 and resistor 123 and a similar junction 134 is provided between coil 129 and resistor 13x).

Junction 131 of phase shift circuit 126 is connected to junction 106 of tank 190 by wire 135. A demodulator 136 comprises a rectifier 137 in series with condenser 138 and its shunt resistor connected across the terminals 139 and 140 of primary 141 of transformer 142. A corresponding transformer 143 has its primary 144 connected across a condenser 145 and paralleled resistor to terminals 146 and 147. Junction 146 is connected to junctions 157 and 139 by wire 148 at junction 149. Junction 147 is connected to junction 133 through demodulating rectifier 150.

It will be noted that a voltage with a frequency of F will appear across junctions 143 and 131. Another voltage with a frequency of F will appear across junctions 131 and 132. Condenser 127 is so chosen that the voltage across resistor 128 is advanced in phase by forty-five degrees. The inductance of coil 129 is so chosen that the voltage F across resistance 130 is retarded in phase by forty-five degrees. The voltage F across junctions 131 and 149 is combined with the voltage F advanced in phase forty-five degrees across resistance 128, demodulated by rectifier 150 and applied across terminals 146 and 147 of primary 144 of transformer 143. The same voltage F across junctions 131 and 149 is combined with the voltage F retarded in phase forty-five degrees across resistance 130, demodulated by rectifier 137 and applied across terminals 139 and 14b of primary 141 of transformer 142. Primary 141 receives the envelope or demodulated beat frequency or" F-F' retarded so as to pass through the origin at zero time. Primary 144 receives the envelope or demodulated beat frequency of FF' leading the voltage across primary 141 by ninety degrees.

Transformers 142 and 143 have double secondaries 151, 152 and 153, 154 respectively. Of these secondaries 151 and 153 act as voltage limiters to limit the voltage to a three volt maximum. Secondary 151 has its terminals connected to rectifiers 155 and 156 which are joined at junction 157. Secondary 153 has its terminals connected to rectifiers 158 and 159 which are joined at junction 160. The midpoints 161 and 162 of secondaries 151 and 153 are connected by Wire 163. Junctions 157 and are connected by wire 164 having resistors 165 and 166 with junction 167 there-between. A three volt battery 168 has its negative terminal connected to junction 167 and its positive terminal connected to junction 169 with wire 163. Secondaries 151 and 153 function to limit the voltage to a maximum amplitude of three volts over a wide range of phase, e.g. whether the frequency is ten kilocycles or ten megacycles.

The lagging envelope or rectified signal in primary 141 and the corresponding leading signal in primary 144 are reproduced in secondaries 152 and 154 respectively connected in opposing relation by wire 176. Secondary 152 is connected across condenser 171 through resistor 172 and rectifier 174 in wire 173 and Wire 176 leading from junction with wire 17%. A three volt battery 177 has its positive terminal connected to junction 173 with wire 176. The negative terminal 179 of battery 177 is connected across condenser 171 through rectifier 132 by wire 13% connected to junction 181 with wire 173. Battery 177 and rectifier 182 limit the tank voltage of secondary 152 and condenser 171 to three vol-ts. A second rectifier 183 is connected across condenser 171 in reversed direction at junctions 134 and 185 with wires 176 and 13th to permit the voltage of condenser 171 to go negative. Condenser 171 is charged by each beat of the rectified envelope signal through rectifier 174.

Secondary 154 is connected by wire 136 containing resistance 188 to rectifier 187 which gives half Waves. A second rectifier 189 is connected by wire 1% across negative terminal 179 of battery 177 and the other terminal of rectifier 137 at junction 191. The primary 192 of transformer 193 is connected to junction 191 and to junction 194 with wire 171} by Wire 195 containing condenser 196. Rectifier 189 limits the amplitude of the half wave produced by rectifier 187.

The limited square wave produced by rectifiers 187 and 189 is amplified to yield two oppositely peaked voltages. Secondary 197 has one side connected by wire 1% to the grid of amplifier triode 199 and the other side connected to the cathode of tube 199 by wire 2% containing inductance 201 and condenser 202 in parallel. The amplifying circuit comprises an inductance 203 and plate battery 294 connected across the plate and cathode of tube 199 by wire 265 leading to junction 206 with wire 200. A rectifier 2%7 for suppressing the negative peak is connected across inductance 203 by Wire 2118 leading from junction 269 to junction 210. Wire 211 connects junction 212 on wire 17! to junction 213 on wire 208. Condenser 171 is discharged by rectifier 214 connected by wire 215 containing resistance 216 between junction 217 with wire 208 and junction 181.

Condenser 171 is connected to the grid of tube 218 by a wire 219 leading from junction 220 with wire 215 and containing resistor 221. Wire 222 leads from junction 223 with wire 176 to the cathode of tube 218 through battery 224. A damping condenser 225 is connected across wires 219 and 222 at junctions 226 and 227, respectively. The plate circuit of tube 213 comprises a relay coil 228 and plate battery 229 connected by wire 230 to the plate and junction 231 with wire 222. Armature 232 is biased toward contact 233 by tension spring 234 and is drawn toward contact 235 by 228. Armature 232 is connected to one side of motor 105 by wire coil 236. Contacts 233 and 235 are connected across battery 237 having its mid tap connected with the other side of D.C. motor by wire 238.

In the operation of the above circuit it will be noted that although the form of the envelope obtained is the same as normal the order of the peaks of the two voltage curves depends upon whether F is higher or lower than F. F is separated into f' and f' If F F the peak of the envelope of f' occurs before f' The opposite is true where F' F when f go comes first. These envelope peaks appear at transformers 142 and 143. The peak of the first 1 is used to charge condenser 171 to three volts on each beat through the rectifier 174 of the envelope minus forty-five degrees. The peak of 7 is fed to amplifier 199 et seq. and by a very accurate action at rectifier 214 discharges the condenser 171, condenser 225 serving as a damper. In the case of F F the duration of the charge on condenser 171 is three-quarters of the time interval and in the case of F F the duration is only one-quarter.

It follows that the average values of the two voltages areasso are different by a factor of three. This differential value serves to determine the direction of rotation of motor 195 because of the differential effect on armature 232 biased by spring 2 34. In a home television reproducer using a transport record 3%!) as a picture source, shown schematically in FIG. 2, the coil 314 replaces the coil 223 of FIG. 1 and the motor 1% and circuitry 232. through 238 is eliminated. Tuning or focusing is achieved by the manual adjustment of condenser 1M until a sharp focus is obtained as explained below.

An application of the invention to the field or" television with particular reference to the storing and reproduction of television program is shown in FIG. 2.

In the structure of FIG. 2 a home television set is equipped to produce a program from a record 3% which resembles a phonograph record in general appearance. Record disc 3'30 is formed of a plastic base into which a glycerine acid has been introduced, it is both transparent and conductive. Record Slit) has a spiralloid track somewhat like the groove in a sound record. The track comprises a path about one and a half mini-meters in width of grainless special photographic silver salt or similar material such as used in the Lippmann process forming a light valve. A flying spot sweep across the 1 /2 mm. path picking up six hundred dot video signals from each horizontal line. A multiplier phototube is used for the necessary high definition For a discussion of the flying spot action reference is made to Principles of Television Engineering, pages 83-89, Fink, McGraw Hill, 1940 and Basic Television, pages 18, 19 and 34, Grob, McGraw Hill, 1949. See also Vacuum Tubes, sec. 19.10, Spangcn'herg, McGraw Hill, 1948.

The record 3% is mounted for rotation and also for movement bodily in translation. Where separate records are used for video and sound signal they are synchronized by suitable gearing, the sound record turning 33 /3 rpm. and the video record at 1 /2 r.p.m. This speed differential is allowed for on records carrying both sound and video signals. Such a construction is considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

Where the record carries the video signals only, without sound, the construction may be as shown schemat-ically in FIGS. 2 and 3. The spiral light valve track of record 3th) receives light from a small cathode ray tube 33 which in this case makes a line across the spiral track as the flying spot moves. A lens system 3% focuses the light on a movable lens 35% mounted on spring arm 3%. Two condenser plates 3%, corresponding to condenser till, are placed on arm 3%, one on each side of movable lens 355. An inductance Still, corresponding to inductance 1%, is connected acros the plates 301 to form a high Q tank circuit which contains just enough inherent resistance to make it sufiiciently stable to yield optimum results. A multiplier photocell 397 is aligned with track 3&8 on the opposite of record 3% from scanning tube 363.

Alternatively, a source of light may be used in place of photocell 307 and a small camera tube such as a cathode ray flying spot scanner may be used in place of cathode ray scanning tube 363, in which case the video signal will be generated by the camera tube. This reversal of direction of intelligence flow with respect to storage record 3% is entirely within the spirit of the invention of the disclosure and is representative of the many variations in structure to achieve the same or equivalent results.

It will be seen that the conductive record 3% forms part of the electrical circuit of condenser 391 and that the effective capacity of condenser 3'01 and therefore the resonant frequency of the tank circuit S ill-3&2 i a function of the distance between record 3% and condenser plates 3ti1. It follow that the sharpness of focus of the flying spot on track 398 by lens 365 is also a func tion of this same distance. This structure can therefore be said to translate the distance of lens 305 from the film track 3% into the resonant frequency of tank circuit Mid-302. The condenser 300, 301 is a variable condenser with two end plates 301, a middle plate comprising the conductive record Silt) and the air space between the record iltit) and the plates 301. As the distance (1 across the air space changes the capacitance of the condenser 3tltl3t31 varies according to the relation C=ka/4-.-rd, where k is the dielectric constant for air, a is the total effective area of plates 301 and that portion of record Still opposite the plates 301 and d is the distance between plates 301 and record 390.

Spring arm 3% is attached to mounting 309 which carries a projecting arm 31d and a set screw 311 which bears against arm 3&6 and afiords means to make an initial setting of arm 3% and lens 365.

A cone 312 of aluminium, magnesium or other nonferrous metal of low mass is suspended from arm point 313 on arm 3% and supports coil 314 over the central post 315 of permanent magnet 316. Coil 314 may be substituted for coil 228 and motor and elements 232 through 238 eliminated. The action on coil 314 is somewhat diiferent and the coil 314 should be so connected that the voltage having the larger value opposes the action of gravity in those constructions where gravity is a factor. However, the spring constant of arm 366 and the mass of the system may be such as to make gravitational efiects relatively unimportant and it may be de sirable to bias cone 312 or arm 3% in the direction of the smaller value so as to balance the forces acting to move lens 3E5. It might be noted that the plate current of tube passing through coil 228 (or coil 314) is substantially independent of the difference between F and F even if they are of different orders of magnitude. It will be understood that motor 105 and elements 232 through 238 were employed to disclose the general case of maintaining two frequencies the same and are normally to be replaced by the elements used to adapt the invention to a specific application of which the reproduction of visual programs is only one of many. The above arrangement could of course be readily adapted for use with motion picture film of either commercial or home movie size with or without an attached sound track.

The record of FIG. 3 is shown as a disc 300 having 1.5 mm spiral path 3&8 and a spiral space 317 between turns of about one tenth mm. in width. A central hole 313 of irregular outline, is used Where separate records are used for video signals and sound so that their initial positions are fixed and automatically synchronized. Synchronism is maintained by gearing as mentioned above. The records Silt) may of course be cylindrical or film.

in the television reproducer circuit of FIGS. 1 and 2 combined, condenser IM or its paralleled inductance is adjustable by small increments by a knob or the like on a micrometer dial. If the reproducer is out of focus during operation condenser 1% is adjusted manually until lens 3% focuses accurately and an optimum picture is obtained. The circuit of FIG. 1 maintains the focus thereafter. The adjustment of arm 306 by set screw 311 is normally set at the factory and is not changed in normal tuning.

The record Silt) and the separate sound track may be synchron zed manually if desired and for this purpose may be supplied with a peripheral starting or positioning mark 319. A mark such as 319 may be placed on both video and sound records, film or the like. Sound control signals for synchronization may be impressed on opaque spiral portion 317, picked up and applied to the audio circuit as is now done for motion picture sound synchronization. With improved equipment spiral space 317 may carry the sound track corresponding to the video track 3%. Such sound track may be single or of multiple parallel micro-groove paths. The use of multiple paths in parallel with corresponding pickup heads areaseo for each path permits the recording of two, three or more frequency ranges within the audible range which are selectively recorded on the parallel paths and combined to give full range sound. This arrangement permits full use of the space 3 17 and prevents undue crowding of the sound signals caused by the very slow speed of rotation of one and a half r.p.m.

The video track 308 may be continuous as shown at 320, each frame repeating itself without special demarcation other than synchronizing signals. The frames may be segregated as indicated at 321 if desired. Any distortion which may occur because of the spiral track approaching the center is allowed for by positioning and shape of the lines of each frame which change slightly as the center is approached. That is, if the signals are recorded on the record, in the same manner in which they are to be reproduced, on equipment with the same geometry, any correction is automatic without need of special compensation.

The record 300 may be made conductive by using a cobalt salt in the record composition itself or as a surface layer or coating.

While I have described what I at present consider the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from my invention, and I, therefore, have used generic terminology in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A device for supplying video signals to a television receiver comprising a record having a series of substantially parallel lines respectively representing the lines of a television raster and having variations to represent those of the television picture, detecting means including a light source and light pick-up means for scanning the lines and generating a video signal varying according to the variations along the substantially parallel lines, a video output circuit connected to said light pick-up means, said video output circuit being adapted to be connected to a television receiver to deliver said video signals thereto, and means for successively advancing said record with reference to said detecting means so that said substantially parallel lines are scanned in sequence.

2. A device for supplying video signals to a television receiver as defined in claim 1 in which said record is transparent and said light source directs a light beam through the record and said light pick-up means is in 8 the path of the light beam after it has passed through the record.

3. A device for supplying a video signal to a television receiver as defined in claim 2 in which the record is a disc and in which said substantially parallel lines are radial, are of short length as compared to the radius of the disc, and a line normal to said parallel lines forms a spiral path.

4. A device for supplying video signals to a television receiver as defined in claim 1 in which the record is a disc and in which said substantially parallel lines are radial and are of short length as compared to the radius of the disc, and a line normal to said parallel lines forms a spiral path.

5. A device for supplying video signals to a television receiver as defined in claim 1 including means for holding constant the distance between the record and at least some part of said detecting means.

6. In combination, a television receiver having a video input, a record having a series of substantially parallel lines each made up of a series of dots, detecting means including a light source and light pick-up means for scanning the parallel lines and generating a video signal varying according to variations in the dots along the parallel lines, means for feeding the video signal produced by said detecting means to said video input of said television receiver, and means for successively advancing said record with reference to said detecting means so that said substantially parallel lines are scanned in sequence of said detecting means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Neblette, C. 13.: Photography, page 43. D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1943.

New York,

DAVID G. REDINBAUGH, Primary Examiner.

NEWTON LOVEWELL, ROBERT SEGAL, Examiners. 

1. A DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING VIDEO SIGNAL TO A TELEVISION RECEIVER COMPRISING A RECORD HAVING A SERIES OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL LINES RESPECTIVELY REPRESENTING THE LINES OF A TELEVISION RASTER AND HAVING VARITIONS TO REPRESENT THOSE OF THE TELEVISION PICTURE, DETECTING MEANS INCLUDING A LIGHT SOURCE AND LIGHT PICK-UP MEANS FOR SCANNING THE LINES AND GENERATING A VIDEO SIGNAL VARYING ACCORDING TO THE VARIATIONS ALONG THE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL LINES, A VIDEO OUTPUT CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID LIGHT PICK-UP MEANS, SAID VIDEO OUTPUT CIRCUIT BEING ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A TELEVISION RECEIVER TO DELIVER SAID VIDEO SIGNALS THERETO, AND MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY ADVANCING SAID RECORD WITH REFERENCE TO SAID DETECTING MEANS SO THAT SAID SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL LINES ARE SCANNED IN SEQUENCE. 